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City of Portage Mayor

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11/11/2026

Part 3 of my 6-minute smackdown series about our city’s budget! Today’s topic: water and sewer revenues!

10/27/2026

Hello Portage residents,

The leaves are falling off as its almost November already! I hope that your spooky Halloween celebrations are going to be super fun! Let’s go Brewers! Alright, let’s get to some updates.

>The Common Council’s October 8th meeting featured a lot of topics. The state gave their approval to move forward with the ATV/UTV ordinance, so the Council discussed costs for signage and locations. This ordinance will come before the council at the November meeting. Additionally, the Council approved our city’s 5-year financial management plan, which details projected revenues, expenses, projects, and risks the city should expect to face the next 5 years. Lastly, the Council approved a Garbage and Recycling Fee (more on that in the deep dive).

>Our signals upgrades on New Pinery are set to be completed in early November. Once completed, these signals will be updated with current traffic information to improve traffic flow.

>Our Fire/EMS crews have had quite a year so far, with over 2,100 calls for service so far in 2026. We do have some awesome news to share: our EMS crews are now carrying packed red blood cells on our ambulances. This allows our paramedics to administer blood to trauma and medical patients experiencing significant blood loss. A huge shout out to State Rep. Karen DeSanto, SSM Health medical director Dr. Aurora Lybeck, Med Flight Dr. Drew Cathers, and ImpactLiferepresentatives Kirby Winn and Jake Hicks for joining us in celebrating this. Lastly, a HUGE thank you to Blystone’s Towing for their generous $14,000 donation, which provided the funding to purchase the equipment for this.

>Are you in need of space for your business? If you need warehouse, manufacturing, or office space next to the Interstate, we have space rentals available for you at the Enterprise Center. Space for warehousing/manufacturing is $0.38/sq ft, Office Space is $1.05/sq ft. Reach out to our Director of Planning and Zoning, Sam Kraegel, at 608-742-2176 ext 113 for more information.

>Our budget process is underway here for the city. Our Finance Committee met on October 12th and 20th to review all of our budget numbers. More meetings for our Finance Committee are scheduled in November, with our full budget hearing presentation and adoption on November 23rd. If you want to know all the details of our budget, ask questions, or see all the work put into it, mark that day in your calendars.

>This year’s midterm election is on November 3rd, and polls are open from 7am-8pm. If you want to beat the lines, vote early-in person at city hall from 8am-4:30pm this week, with extended hours on Friday, October 30th from 8am-5pm. Over 800 voters have already cast their ballots. Make your voice heard!

For this month’s deep dive, I wanted to talk a bit more about the Garbage Fee that was passed by the Common Council at the October 8th meeting. There are a lot of comments and questions about this, and I wanted to address some of the confusion here and explain why this is happening.
First off, you currently pay for garbage through your property taxes. When the city sends out property tax bills in December, the cost for your garbage services is included in the tax levy. This move changes it by enacting a $144.65 flat fee per household. Instead of just seeing the number in your tax billline, you will now see it as a separate line underneath your taxes. Additionally, I want to note that the city is charged $145 per household. In other words, we are charging you the same cost that it costs the city for these contracted services.

The question then, becomes “why the shift?” The main reason is that the state government sees fees vs taxes differently. A fee is a flat rate per household, whereas many things can influence your property taxes. Switching to a flat charge creates space in our budget for other essential services, especially paying for our emergency services. State aid has not kept up with inflation, so budgeting has been a difficult process the past several years for cities across the state.

On top of that, funding from the state for local garbage and recycling has dropped sharply—falling from covering about a third of program costs 15 years ago to just 16% today. At the same time, the economics of recycling have changed: lighter plastics and fewer aluminum cans (especially as fewer young people drink alcohol, less soda consumption, etc, among other changes) mean lower recycling payouts, while rising diesel prices make running trucks more expensive. These types of combined pressures have driven up the true cost of keeping these services running.

Another question people have asked is “why is the real amount less than $145?” I want to be clear: the city is charging a $145 fee if you have a garbage can that gets picked up. However, the city has to reduce our tax levy by the amount it cost to run garbage services in 2014 (per state law). As a result, the city has to reduce our property tax levy by over $220,000. So while you will be charged a “new” $145 fee, you will see a reduction in city property taxes that partially offset that cost. For a $250,000 home, the true impact will be about $86, not $145. Furthermore, it is important to understand that the city is just one taxing jurisdiction. As I have mentioned in my budget videos, other governments like the school district, the County, and Madison College also impact your property taxes. Our estimates so far project that most taxpayers will actually see a decreased tax burden this year, even accounting for the garbage fee.

Many residents have shared a very reasonable perspective: 'If household budgets are tight, the city should be trimming its budget, too.' We completely agree. That’s why over the past several years, City Hall has proactively trimmed hundreds of thousands of dollars from our annual expenses. To hold the line on costs, we have done numerous things, including freezing staff merit raises, leaving open positions unfilled, and switched to lower-cost health insurance plans. Additionally, we have partnered with the local school district to share staffing and program costs. On our energy side, we converted streetlights and municipal buildings to energy-efficient LEDs and added motion sensor lights to reduce energy costs, and switched payment processors to reduce costs and fees. Lastly, we have postponed non-essential capital projects to avoid taking on unnecessary debt and reduced operating budgets. Every department will continue looking for ways to run leaner without sacrificing essential safety and community services.

Furthermore, it is important to note that sometimes, cuts can be actually counter-productive. Delaying vehicle purchases means your maintenance costs increase. Cutting planning services can lead to increased project costs, duplicate payments, and so on. It is also true that just like other businesses, the city just has to bear high costs. Diesel costs have skyrocketed this year, yet our Fire Department and Ambulances still have to go to calls. Snowplows still need to clear the roads. I also want to note that the city hates adding these charges. We understand the financial hardship many of you are dealing with. But if we are to continue with providing these services that you expect, absent state aid or revenue growth, we simply don’t have a choice.

I hope this helps explain a bit more of the “why” with this. As always, reach out to me or your alder with any questions!

-Mayor Matt

10/13/2026

Part 2 in the 6-minute smackdown budget series is out! This video shows how changes in state funding the past 20 years have really hit local governments hard.

09/30/2026

Hello Portage residents,
The air is getting slightly cooler, and pumpkin spice begins to appear! Fall is in full swing and it’s October already. Alright, let’s get to some updates.

>The Common Council had a busy agenda for its meeting on September 10th. The Council had a healthy, long discussion about where to go about e-bikes, and what next steps for creating an ordinance dealing with e-bikes should consider. The council is supportive of considering banning trick, stunt, or unsafe riding practices, and impounding e-bikes of riders who violate rules. The city is still working on details, so nothing is finalized yet. The Council also addressed liquor licenses and recognized Fire Prevention Week.

>In public works news, road work is progressing along nicely on East Pleasant with its reconstruction starting to wrap up, and signals upgrades on New Pinery at Collins and Slifer are also moving along. Additionally, the Council approved a project designed to help reduce standing water that pools up on New Pinery across from Silver Lake (in front of Kwik Trip Central) during periods of high water. Lastly, the Council approved moving forward with the proposed new Fuel Farm at the Airport. 97.5% of the airport project cost will be covered by the Federal and State Governments.

>At the September 10th meeting, the Council also recognized the nearly 30 years of service that Sgt. Theresa Johnson gave to the city of Portage. She officially retired from the police department last month, and we wish her a long and happy retirement!

>At the September 21st Plan Commission meeting, members gave input on how to update our zoning districts to make use of a newly-passed state law designed to make homes more affordable. This law, Wisconsin Act 235, creates residential TID districts with the intent of helping build more “starter” homes. The law does require some maximum lot sizes, as well as setback rules, so the Plan Commission gave feedback on what those should be so that Portage can make use of this new law.

> The November election is right around the corner! On November 3rd, voters will head to the polls to elect our next Governor, State Representative, Congressman, as well as numerous statewide offices. Make sure your voice is heard! You may request an absentee ballot if you want to skip the line, or vote early-in person. More information on early in-person will be posted later this month.

>It is budget time in the City! Finance committee members met on September 3rd and September 29th to review updated cost and state aid projections. The city has told all departments to budget for a 0% operating budget increase. As more information comes in from the state, council will continue to work on the budget.

>As the weather gets colder, Park Bathrooms will start to be closed, beginning on October 1st.

>Lastly, don’t forget about our Library’s big read! This year’s book is titled Women of the Revolution: Bravery and Sacrifice on Southern Battlefields by Robert Dunkerly, as part of America 250. The kickoff event for this is on October 1st at 5pm, with a talk by the author! Get your free book copy at the Library!

Each month, I include a “Deep Dive” in this newsletter. It’s one of my favorite parts to write, but it’s also something that takes considerably more time and thought than might be obvious from the finished product. So this month, I thought I’d take a Deep Dive into the Deep Dive, and explain how these topics come together.
The first step is deciding what to write about. I try to choose topics where I receive meaningful questions from residents, or subjects that I think people may not know much about but would benefit from understanding. Sometimes that means addressing an issue we’ve heard a lot about. Other times, it means pulling back the curtain on something that happens every day in city government but rarely gets much attention.

My goal isn’t simply to fill a space in the newsletter. I want each Deep Dive to answer questions, provide useful context, and hopefully leave residents with a better understanding of how city government works here in Portage.
One of the things I’ve learned as mayor is that governing is rarely as simple as a headline, a vote, or a single decision might make it appear. There are ordinances to understand, budgets to consider, staff expertise to weigh, legal requirements to follow, and often a lot of history behind why something is the way it is. I use these Deep Dives as an opportunity to explain some of that reality.

That doesn’t mean every decision will be universally agreed upon. It means I want residents to have more information about the process and the factors that go into the decisions being made. It’s hard to understand if you’ve never been in government, but there are a lot of moving pieces. It’s never simple.

Before the newsletter makes its way onto Facebook, there’s usually quite a bit of research behind it. Depending on the topic, I may look at what other communities are doing, talk with other mayors about how they’ve approached a similar issue, review trends across Wisconsin, or dig into information that helps put our local situation into a broader context.

Our city doesn’t operate in isolation. What happens here can be influenced by state policies, economic trends, changing technology, regional issues, and decisions being made in communities across Wisconsin. Looking beyond Portage helps me better understand those connections, and hopefully helps me explain them to you.

I also don’t consider these newsletters to be a one-person project. City staff review them, particularly when I’m writing about technical, financial, operational, or legal matters. They help identify major inaccuracies, errors, or areas where additional context may be needed. That review is important to me. I’m writing these from my perspective as mayor, but I want the information I provide to residents to be as accurate and useful as possible. It’s important to know that I don’t know all the specific legal requirements, reports, and data that go into every decision. That’s why we have people like our City Administrator, Fire and Police Chiefs, Clerks, Finance Directors, and Public Works Directors. They know unbelievably vast amounts about their fields, and I am grateful for all the work they do for us.

I like writing these newsletters. I believe transparency is more than simply making information available. It’s also about taking the time to explain what that information means. Residents shouldn’t have to be experts in local government to understand what their city is doing, why we’re doing it, or what factors are being considered. If something is complicated, I think it’s worth the time to make it understandable. That’s ultimately what I’m trying to accomplish with these monthly updates.

Thank you for reading these each month, and especially for continuing to send the questions and ideas that help shape what I write about next.

As always, feel free to reach out to myself or an alder!
-Mayor Matt

09/28/2026

Six-minute smackdown video series is back. This is part 1 of a 4 part series on your property taxes.

09/01/2026

Hello Portage Residents,
I can’t believe August has already gone by. Kids are back to school and pumpkin spice will be overrunning all of us here very quickly. Alright, let’s get to some updates.

>National Night Out was on August 4th. It was great to see all of you, and hopefully the brief storm didn’t dampen your spirits! I also hope that you all had a great time at Taste of Portage this past weekend!

>Our Common Council meeting on August 13th had a bit of a lighter agenda, as we hit a bit of a calm before the budget process kicks off. The council approved payments, addressed a few liquor licenses, reviewed airport hangar lease agreements, and completed contract awards for the Collipp-Worden Bathroom upgrades.

>Roadwork is progressing nicely on East Pleasant Street, with utility work being completed. Workers are now putting in curb and grading the roadway prior to asphalt being laid later on. You have also noticed the signals work on New Pinery as upgraded lights are being placed in. This project will be wrapped up later this fall.

>Our library is preparing for the “Big Read” book later this fall, from Oct 1st-Nov 30th. This year’s book is “Women of the Revolution: Bravery and Sacrifice on the Southern Battlefields” by Robert M. Dunkerly. This book details women’s roles in the Revolutionary War as Part of America’s 250th. There will be a kick-off on October 1st at 5pm with the author at the library. Contact the library if you have questions!

>Across from Hart and Olson Dentistry, you are seeing the start of construction for the Rivers Crossing Apartment Complex. This complex has 52 units and includes some income restricted units reserved for veterans and people with autism who can live independently, but need some assistance. The remaining units will be market-rate rents.

>You will also see construction at the intersection of Eastridge Drive and New Pinery, next to BMO Harris Bank. The Plan Commission approved a Verizon Store site plan, so construction should be underway in the near future. Construction is also moving along nicely at the future Dunkin/Baskin Robbins site across from Kwik Trip North.

>From August 19th-21st, myself, Administrator Schoenemann, and Director of Planning Sam Kraegel attended the meeting of the Chief Executives in Lake Geneva. This meeting brought Administrators and Mayors from across the state together to discuss common issues, propose solutions, and learn about upcoming events, regulations, laws, and problems to help us serve you better. We discussed countless topics, from road repairs, budgets, and E-bike issues (more on that later in this post). I feel it is important to stress that the issues we see here in Portage are not unique to us; mayors from across the state have also voiced their concerns about similar problems as well.

>Starting in September, the city will be starting its annual budget process. We are requiring a 0% increase from our department heads. In late September, I plan on creating a video series explaining our city’s budget and how it works, along with where your tax dollars go. Stay tuned!

For this month’s “deep dive” subject, I want to talk about E-bikes. At the Chief Executive’s Conference, there was very intense debate and discussion from mayors and administrators from all over the state, each with their own experiences and thoughts about how to proceed. This issue exploded statewide this summer, and many municipalities have differing points of view. With that context, let’s proceed.

E-bikes are regulated under state law as Class 1, Class 2, or Class 3. A Class 1 can assist a rider with pedals and can go up to 20mph. A Class 2 has pedals, but the motor itself can propel the rider up to 20mph. A Class 3 E-bike can have pedal assist up to 28mph. Considering that E-bikes are regulated under state law, the city does NOT have the power to ban them. The city can create ordinances that prohibit certain actions and impose consequences for those. I have talked with my police department about some of those options, and I want to share what some of those are.

The city CAN target “unsafe riding practices.” Neenah and Menasha recently passed ordinances that ban unsafe riding actions such as racing, towing riders, or stunt/trick riding. Additionally, the city can decide whether or not E-bikes are allowed on park paths, the levee trail, or if they can ride on sidewalks or the roadway. Keep in mind, however, if we tell E-bike riders they are not allowed on sidewalks, they will have to ride ON roads, including state highways such as 16, 33, and 51. The city can also require E-bike riders to wear helmets when they ride, and we can impound E-bikes that consistently violate our ordinances or engage in negligent operation.

At our conference, attorneys from the League of Wisconsin Municipalities explicitly advised us against creating age restrictions for E-bike use and trying to issue E-bike licenses. These ordinances would likely be struck down in court as violations of state law.

This is also the part where I make an appeal to citizens and parents. As Mayor, I can advocate, educate, and listen to residents, but I cannot make ordinances by myself. This requires the Common Council to act. This topic has been brought before our Council’s Legislative Committee, with input from our police department, and the city is actively working on our next steps. If you have suggestions and recommendations, please contact your alder! I will put a link in the comments below with our alders’ contact information. Share your ideas with your alder, including what the city should do next, or make a public comment at our next meeting. For example, would you support helmet laws? Unsafe driving/stunt driving laws? I have had a few people reach out to me with suggestions, and I encourage you to reach out to your alder with yours.

I ask that parents please talk with your children about safe and responsible E-bike use. Children who ride through stop signs, operate at fast speeds, or fail to pay attention risk serious injury. Mayors in the Milwaukee area have brought up concerns they have heard from doctors at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin about the rapid rise of severe injuries due to e-bike use. Additionally, please research information on safety, reliability, and maintenance requirements before considering purchasing these for your children. Also, be aware that people can make modifications to these e-bikes to go faster than these were originally intended to go, which can increase risk to children’s safety. It’s important to note that city ordinances are part of the solution, but there are limits to what we can do. Parents, community members, and e-bike riders all play a role in keeping everyone safe here.

Lastly, I also wanted to share that it is important to keep things in perspective. Yes, e-bikes are a growing concern, and I do worry about accidents with them. But for every Facebook post about e-bike riders acting in an unsafe manner, there are many more riders who are riding safely and responsibly. The city’s goal is balancing safety and accessibility. We have to think carefully about what rules will actually make people safer, where those rules can legally apply, and whether we can realistically enforce them. Our goal is to educate and communicate rather than try to punish.

As always, reach out to myself or an alder with any questions you have!
-Mayor Matt

08/07/2026

In case you aren’t aware, there’s a blood shortage right now! Next week the Red Cross is having a blood drive. Check out this for more information.

07/28/2026

Hello Portage Residents,

July is almost over already! How is summer going by so fast? Before we know it, school sports will be starting and summer will be over. Here’s a summary of what’s covered this month:

>Common Council and City Government Updates
>Flood Recovery and Preparedness Planning
>Upcoming Events (National Night Out, Primary Election, and Columbia County Fair)
> A Deep Dive of how Portage’s City Government Works

>The July 9th Common Council meeting saw a lot of action items, including approving licenses and planning for future projects. The Council approved an ordinance that allows building boathouses in certain areas along the rivers and Silver Lake, since our city code previously accidentally prohibited them.

>Another important item on the July 9th meeting was a debrief and discussion from what we learned during the April floods. The good news was that the community at large escaped major damage, and the minor issues with the City levee the were discovered are being fixed with the help of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. However, the city did learn a lot and we did have some equipment that will need to be addressed. The first is that due to the high amount of pumping necessary to keep certain neighborhoods dry resulted in one of our pumps burning up (literally, it caught fire). Our public works staff noted that some of our pumps are aging, and future flood events like this will stress our infrastructure, meaning the city needs to examine buying larger pumps. Furthermore, our fire department noted that our current rescue Hovercraft (from 1999) will need to be replaced soon, as trying to safely navigate the areas near Blackhawk Park were a challenge. Our Fire Department’s rescue boat isn’t designed for shallow water rescue operations and needs to be addressed in the future.

>Our annual crack fill and chip seal projects were completed within the last couple of weeks. These projects are designed to extend the life of our roads. Additionally, the resurfacing project on Boeck Road was recently completed. The East Pleasant Street reconstruction project is progressing nicely as well.

>Coming up next week is National Night Out, which takes place on August 4 at Collipp-Worden Park. This will be from 5-7:30pm and the theme is Superhero Night. Come on out to meet our first responders, local government agencies, and businesses to see all the cool things they do!

>The Partisan Primary Election is on Tuesday, August 11. If you have not requested your absentee ballot already, you can still do so. Our early in-person voting hours are 8am-4:30pm July 27-30th and August 3-6, 8am-12:30pm on July 31st, and 8am-5pm Friday, August 7th. Make sure your voice is heard!

>Our library’s K-5th grade reading program has been a big success so far! As of July 25th, our K-5 age group has read 241,380 minutes! That is equal to 167 days of reading! Our Birth-PreK kids were read to 3,906 times! For those who prefer hard copies, I have printouts of this letter at the Library Entrance.

>This week is the Columbia County Fair! It will definitely be a hot and humid week, so make sure you are staying hydrated while you are out having fun. I hope to see all of you out there!

For this month's deep dive, I thought it would be helpful to explain how city government works and what responsibilities belong to city staff, the Common Council, and the Mayor. I wanted to cover this because I regularly receive emails or calls that say, "Hey Mr. Mayor, the city should do X." I always appreciate hearing from residents, but many people are surprised to learn that the mayor cannot simply decide to spend money, change city policy, or direct projects on my own. Our city government is designed so that different people have different responsibilities and voices are heard. There are three main parts of Portage's government: our professional city staff, the Common Council, and the Mayor. (We also have a Municipal Judge, but I'll leave that role out for today's discussion.)

City Staff

Our city staff are the professionals who provide the services that keep Portage running every day. Public Works crews maintain streets and infrastructure, police and firefighters respond to calls, Parks/Rec staff care for our public spaces, and employees throughout City Hall, the utilities, and the library provide the services residents rely on that range from elections, development, permitting, and much more. They are the experts who carry out the day-to-day work of government and provide advice to elected officials.

The Common Council

Portage has 9 aldermanic districts, each represented by an alderperson. The Council is responsible for passing ordinances, approving the budget, setting city policy, and deciding how city funds are spent. That's why I encourage residents to contact their alderperson. If you want the city to address a project, change an ordinance, or adopt a new policy, those decisions are made by the Council—not the Mayor.

For example, I sometimes hear, "Mr. Mayor, you should fix this street." While I understand the concern, I don't have the authority to decide which streets are funded or when projects move forward. Those decisions are made by the Council after considering recommendations from city staff, available funding, and long-term planning. I can advocate for an issue, but the final decision belongs to the Council.

What Does the Mayor Do?

The Mayor's role is less about making decisions and more about providing leadership and helping the Council make informed choices. I appoint members to city boards and commissions, help determine what topics come before the Council for discussion, propose policy changes, run meetings, and have veto authority, although I believe that should be used sparingly.

Much of my work happens behind the scenes. I regularly meet with city staff, other mayors, business leaders, nonprofits, and state officials to learn what challenges other cities are facing and what solutions have worked. I also work closely with staff to research issues, evaluate options, and prepare information so the Council can make well-informed decisions. Many of the discussions and hours of preparation happen long before an item ever appears on a Council agenda. My job is to ask questions, gather information, build consensus, and help ensure decisions are based on facts rather than quick reactions.

It's a Team Effort

Good local government depends on collaboration. City staff provide professional expertise and services, the Common Council makes policy and budget decisions, and the Mayor helps bring people together, research solutions, and guide the process. I hope this helps explain who is responsible for what in city government. As always, if you have questions or ideas, please reach out. I always enjoy hearing from residents, and I encourage you to stay connected with both your alderperson and my office as we continue working together to make Portage an even better place to live.

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to myself or an alder!
-Mayor Matt

07/15/2026

Hello all,
I try to explain a lot of different things to all of you. One idea I had was to try a video format to help show visual learners big topics. This one came in about 7 minutes, but if you are curious how housing works as a system this video can help you understand. If you don’t have that long, here’s the brief summary:
>Housing is a big cycle: young people usually start out in apartments, then buy a starter home or larger “family” home as they get promotions and have kids, then older people usually downsize into smaller homes or apartments as they get older.
>Building 3-bedroom apartments is not economical, and harder for builders to make a profit on, which is why they aren’t being built.
>The city wants all types of housing, and single family, duplexes, and multifamily are all being built currently. Due to high interest rates and materials costs, multifamily apartments are easiest to build now.
>Building any type of housing helps everyone because it keeps the circle moving.

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Portage, WI
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